Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Handbook for a Sustainable Economy pp 329–351Cite as

Sustainable Consumption

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Consumerism is the consequence basically of two factors. One is limited personal development, which leads to consuming to obtain some satisfaction which reduces the unhappiness produced by personality problems (but this means an incapability of facing these problems). The other factor is the outcome of economic structures which promote ever-increasing consumption. Both factors bring about limited sovereignty, with a broad spectrum which goes from severe limitation (children, frequently older people, people who suffer from psychological problems) to little limitation, in the case of developed people who have significant knowledge about the causes of current unsustainability. We know that once basic needs are satisfied, the path to personal maturity is open, and an ample and growing minority is moving along this path. Kasser identifies it with the progress towards non-materialistic values. Over the last two decades there has been a very important theoretical improvement regarding the concept of sustainable consumption, and regarding the policies to advance towards this objective. There is a broad agreement on the consumption groups which exert the most impacts. However, governments have not put into practice most of these policies. The Oslo Declaration states that the emphasis to date has primarily been on questions of sustainable production. There has been considerably less effort devoted to charting the transitions that will be necessary to facilitate sustainable consumption.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, K., & Ohlson, T. (1999). Including environmental aspects in production development: A case study of tomato ketchup. Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEUC (European Consumer’s Organization). (2008a). A strong, transparent and proactive pharmacovigilance system. Bruxelles: BEUC.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEUC (European Consumer’s Organization). (2008c). Pharmaceutical sector inquiry. Brussels: BEUC.

    Google Scholar 

  • BEUC (European Consumer’s Organization). (2012, February 21). European chemicals safety net flawed Commission study reveals.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buitenkamp, M. (2008). EEB’s vision to European agriculture 2008–2020. EEB

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, T. (2002). Durable consumption: Reflections on product life cycles and the throwaway society. In E. Hertwich (Ed.), Life-cycle approaches to sustainable consumption. Luxembourg: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, T. (2005). Slower consumption. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 9(1–2), 51–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, T. (2012). The value of longevity: Product quality and sustainable consumption. Global Research Forum on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Workshop, Río de Janeiro.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEA (European Environment Agency). (2005). Market-based instruments for environmental policy in Europe. Copenhagen: EEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEA (European Environment Agency). (2008a). Effectiveness of environmental taxes and charges for managing sand, gravel and rock extraction in selected EU countries. Copenhagen: EEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEA (European Environment Agency). (2008b). Time for action – Towards sustainable consumption and production in Europe. Copenhagen: EEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEA (European Environment Agency). (2010). The European environment. State and outlook 2010. Consumption and the environment. Copenhagen: EEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEB (European Environmental Bureau). (2008b). EEB 2008 annual conference report. www.eeb.org

  • ETC/SCP (Euopean Topic Center for Sustainable Consumption and Production). (2011). Progress in sustainable consumption and production in Europe. ETC/SCP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fedrigo, D., & Tukker, A. (2009). Blueprint for European sustainable consumption and production. Brussels: EEB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher-Kowalski, M., & Haberl, H. (2000). Ecología Política. El metabolismo socioeconómico (19).

    Google Scholar 

  • Focus Groups. (2009). Report: The future of transport. Brussels: Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, European Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuchs, D., & Lorek, S. (2005). Sustainable consumption governance: A history of promises and failures. Journal of Consumer Policy, 28, 261–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, G., & Prugh, T. (2009): “Sembrar una economía sostenible”, La situación del mundo 2009, WWI, Barcelona, Icaria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halweil, B., & Nierenberg, D. (2009): Carne y pescado: los ingredientes más caros de la alimentación mundial. La situación del mundo 2009, WWI, Barcelona, Icaria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, L. (2011). Improving the EU ecolabel – Discussion paper for the Belgian presidency meeting 2010. Brussels: BEUC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, T. (2005). Live better by consuming less? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 9(1–2), 19–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, T. (2009a). El reto de un mundo sostenible. La situación del mundo 2009. London: WWI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, T. (2009b). Prosperity without growth? London: Sustainable Development Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasser, T. (2002). The high price of materialism (A Bradford book). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laszlo, E. (2010). Chaos point, 2012 and beyond. Charlottesville: Hampton Road.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linn, S. (2010). Commercialism in children’s lives. In The state of the world 2010. WWI, Barcelona: Icaria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorek, S. (2010). Towards strong sustainable consumption governance. Saarbrücken: LAP Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorek, S., & Lucas, R. (2003). Towards sustainable market strategies. A case study on eco-textiles and green power. Wuppertal: Wuppertal Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorek, S., & Spangenberg, J. (2012). Sustainable consumption within a sustainable economy – Debunking buzzwords to develop the content. Lunenburg: Sustainable European Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michelis, L., & Lorek, S. (2004). Consumption and the environment in Europe. Danish Environmental Protection Agency: Copenhagen.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). (1998). Eco-efficiency. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pullinger, M. (2010). Workshop 8: Employment. In The steady state economy conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachs, J., & Finkelpearl, S. (2010). From selling soap to selling sustainability: Social marketing. State of the World 2010. WorldWatch Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanne, S. (2002). Willing consumers – or lock-in? Policies for sustainable consumption. Ecological Economics, 42, 273–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schor, J. (2010a). Sustainable work schedules for all. In State of the world 2010. Washington, DC: WorldWatch Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soil Association. (2012). Organic market report 2012. www.soilassociation.org

  • Spangenberg, J., & Lorek, S. (2002). Environmentally sustainable household consumption: From aggregate environmental pressures to priority fields of action. Ecological Economics, 43, 127–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlison, I. (2012). Feeding the future: How organic farming can help feed the world. Soil Asssociation.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Enviromental Program). (2002b). Sustainable consumption and cleaner production. Paris: UNEP.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Enviromental Program). (2002c). Sustainable consumption. A global status report. Paris: UNEP.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Enviromental Program). (2008). Planning for change. Guidelines for national programmes and sustainable consumption and production. Paris: UNEP.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Enviromental Program). (2010a). Metal stocks in society – Scientific synthesis. Paris: UNEP.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Enviromental Program). (2010b). Recycling rates of metals. Paris: UNEP.

    Google Scholar 

  • WBCSD (Business Council for Sustainable Development). (2012). A vision for sustainable consumption. Geneva: WBCSD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziesemer, J. (2007). Energy use in organic food systems. Roma: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agre, et al. (2011). The Stockholm memorandum. 3rd Nobel Laureate symposium on global sustainability, Stockholm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ropke, I. (2002, November). Consumption dynamics and technological change – Exemplified by mobile phone and related technologies. Ecological Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  • WBCSD. (2002). The business case of sustainable development. Geneva: WBCSD.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development). (1992). Agenda 21. www.unep.org

  • IPTS (Institute for Prospective Technological Studies), & ESTO (European Science Technology Observatory). (2006). ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PRODUCTS (EIPRO). Analysis of the life cycle environmental impacts related to the final consumption of the EU25, EIPRO&ESTO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schor, J. (2010b). The work-sharing boom: Exit ramp to a new economy? www.yesmagazine.org

  • Tukker, A., & Tischner, U. (2006). Product-servises as a research field: Past, present and future. Reflections from a decade of research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(17), 1480–1494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Graff, J. (2010). Reducing work time as a path to sustainability. In WWI (Ed.), La situación del mundo 2009. Barcelona: Icaria.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics & Business Studies, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain

    Roberto Bermejo

Authors
  1. Roberto Bermejo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bermejo, R. (2014). Sustainable Consumption. In: Handbook for a Sustainable Economy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8981-3_19

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation